Career Planning Timeline

FRESHMAN YEAR

Begin clarifying career goals, assessing your skills, and finding out about career related work.

• Do a thorough self-assessment. Identify your strongest academic areas, your favorite academic areas, hobbies and activities you enjoy, your interests, values, etc., and examine related careers. The Strong Interest Survey, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Sigi3 would be helpful. These assessments are available in Career Services. Call (404) 894-2550 to make an appointment with a Career Counselor.
• Explore various career fields and the skills needed for each field. Attend the Georgia Tech Majors Fair during fall semester. Informational interviews with academic advisors, reviewing college catalogs, the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, Occupational Outlook Handbook, and the Georgia Career Information System would be helpful. These and many other resources are available in the Career Services Library on the 2nd floor of the Bill Moore Student Success Center.
• Identify your current skills. Think about past academic, work or volunteer experiences, the skills you have developed and how they can transfer into the world of work. For example: computer, foreign language, leadership skills, etc. It would help to write these skills down and add to them as you acquire others. This will help you later in your resume writing, job search and interviewing tasks.
• Investigate internship, co-op or other career related employment opportunities. Ask professors for leads, check job listings on CareerBuzz on the Career Services web site (www.career.gatech.edu). Contact Career Services for internships and Professional Practice for co-op opportunities. Attend the Internship Career Fair during spring semester. Visit company web sites for company information.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

List career choices related to your major and secure career-related employment.

• Explore careers related to your major. Review materials available in the Career Services Library. Speak with people in potential career choice areas and engage in "shadowing" experiences.
• Register with Career Services via CareerBuzz. Attend an Internship Information Session. Dates, times and locations are posted on Career Services’ website.
• Develop job search skills. Attend Career Services seminars on Resume Writing, Business Etiquette, Job Search and Interviewing Skills. Resume critiques are available during walk-in hours (listed on our web site). Practice interviews are available at www.career.gatech.edu, click on “Job Search Advice”, then on “Optimal Interview”.
• Begin an intern, co-op or part-time career related job. View intern and part-time positions and sign up for on-campus interviews on CareerBuzz which can be accessed through Career Services' web site. Attend the Internship Career Fair. Target companies of interest, conduct research and apply for positions. Seek assignments in your area of interest and that will help to develop skills in the areas that you are weakest.
• Join professional organizations in your chosen field. Become active. Attend career fairs, local meetings, conferences and seminars whenever possible. Develop a network of contacts. Your network will be helpful when you begin your full-time job search.

JUNIOR YEAR

Continue the above activities and assume more responsible positions. Continue to cultivate contacts both on and off campus.

• Conduct information interviews with people in your chosen field. Use your list of contacts, professors, and those working in your chosen field.
• Visit Career Services on the 2nd floor of the Bill Moore Student Success Center. Review company web sites and literature. Read magazines and journals to become familiar with trends, areas of growth, and potential employers.
• If you haven't participated in the co-op program, secure an internship in your chosen field. See the 4th bullet under Sophomore Year. Target and apply to companies of interest.
• If interested, research graduate schools. Conduct research in the library, talk to professors, search the web, and review college catalogs.

SENIOR YEAR

Develop a job search strategy or apply to graduate schools. Continue networking efforts, especially off campus.

• Participate in Career Focus and the Georgia Tech Career Fair in September. Attend Career Services seminars, write your professional resume, master the interviewing process and begin conducting your job search. Review job postings and sign up for interviews on CareerBuzz at www.career.gatech.edu. Conduct your own job search. Attend the Business Etiquette Dinner in the spring.
• Practice interview skills on “Optimal Interview”. See 3rd bullet under Sophomore Year.
• Arrange for references. These can be professors, people from co-op and internship positions, or others who know your interests, abilities, skills, and work habits. Keep your references abreast of your skills, interests and the positions that you are applying for. Give each a copy of your resume
• If interested, take graduate school entrance exams and apply to graduate schools.